Formed while the members were working in America, the initial impetus was to record an album of Irish rebel songs (released as "The Rising of the Moon") as one of the first releases in 1956 of new folk label, Tradition Records. Paddy Clancy's harmonica provided the only musical accompaniment for this debut album.
Little thought was given at that point to continuing as a singing group. The four were all were busy establishing careers (in the theatre) for themselves, in addition to their work at Tradition Records. With the album being a local success, requests were often demanded for the brothers and Makem to sing some of their songs at parties and informal pub settings. Slowly, the singing gigs began to outweigh the acting gigs and by 1959, serious thought was given to a new album. Liam had developed some guitar skills, Tommy's hand, which hasd been injured, had healed enough that he was again able to play tin whistle and Uilleann pipes, and the times spent singing together had improved their style. No longer were they the rough, mostly unaccompanied group of actors singing for an album to jump-start a record label; they were becoming a professional singing group.
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group. Most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy and Liam Clancy. Paddy, Tom, Bob, and Liam are best known for their work with Tommy Makem, recording dozens of albums together as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. They were a primary influence on a young Bob Dylan and on many other emerging artists.
The release of their second album, this one of Irish drinking songs called "Come Fill Your Glass with Us", solidified their new careers as singers. The album was a success, and they made many appearances on the pub circuit in New York, Chicago, and Boston. It was at their first official gig after "Come Fill Your Glass With Us" that the group finally found a name for themselves. The nightclub owner asked for a name to put on the marquee, but they had not decided on one yet. Unable to agree on a name (which included suggestions like "The Beggermen", "The Tinkers", and even "The Chieftains") the owner decided for them, simply billing them as "The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem". The name stuck. They decided to try singing full-time for six months. If their singing was successful, they would continue with it; if not, then they would return to acting. The Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem proved successful as a singing group and in early 1961, they attracted the attention of scouts from The Ed Sullivan Show.
The Clancy Brothers' mother read news of the terrible ice and snow storms in New York City so she sent Aran sweaters for her sons and Tommy Makem to keep them warm. Paddy and Liam Clancy stated they wore the sweaters for the first time in the Blue Angel club. When Marty Erlichman, their manager, saw the sweaters, he was beside himself! "That's it!" he exclaimed. I've been looking for a special costume for the group. It was also the night that Barbra Streisand sang in the Blue Angel for the first time. The sweaters became the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem's trademark. When back in their hometown, the band purchased their Aran jumpers from Babington, on the main street. Babington had a local woman by the name of Betty McGillivray née Duggan knit the jumpers and supply the shop on regular occasions.
On 12 March 1961, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed for 16 minutes in front of a televised audience of 80 million people on The Ed Sullivan Show. As Pearl Bailey did not show that night, the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem were given her time. The televised performance instantly attracted the attention of John Hammond of Columbia Records. The group was offered a five-year contract with an advance of $100,000, a huge sum in 1961. For their first album with Columbia, they enlisted Pete Seeger as backup banjo player for the live album A Spontaneous Performance Recording It included songs that would soon become classics, such as "Brennan on the Moor," "Jug of Punch," "Reilly's Daughter," "Finnegan's Wake," "Haul Away Joe," "Roddy McCorley," "Portlairge" and "Moonshiner." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1961.
By the end of 1961, they had released two more albums, one final one with Tradition Records, and another with Columbia, Hearty and Hellish: A Live Nightclub Performance, and they were playing Carnegie Hall. Additionally, they were making appearances on major radio and television talk-shows in America.
1962 proved to be an even better year. Ciarán MacMathuna, a popular radio personality in Ireland, was visiting America when he heard of the group. He collected the few albums they had out at the time, brought them back home to Ireland and played them on his radio show. The broadcasts skyrocketed the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem to fame in Ireland, where they were still unknown. In Ireland, songs like "Roddy McCorley," "Kevin Barry" and "Brennan on the Moor" were slow, depressing songs full of melancholy, but the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem had transformed those songs (the disgruntled purists in Ireland said "commercialized") and made them lively. For generations the songs had been a reminder of the troubles in Ireland and therefore they weren't anything anybody sang proudly. The Clancy Brothers changed all that, and the transformed songs reinvigorated Ireland's pride in her music. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were brought over for a sold-out tour of Ireland in late 1962. Popularity in England and other parts of Europe soon followed, as well as Australia and Canada. By 1963, appearing on major talk-shows in America, Canada, England, Australia and Ireland, as well as their own TV specials, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were "the most famous four Irishmen in the world" as said by Ireland's Late Late Show host, Gay Byrne, in a retrospective interview in 1984. In 1964, one third of all the albums sold in Ireland were Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem records.
The 1960s continued to be a successful decade with the release of approximately two albums per year, all of which sold millions of copies. They continued to peak with television appearances in front of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Their popularity is the result of several factors. There was already an American folk revival beginning in the United States, and men such as Ewan MacColl popularizing old songs on the other side of the Atlantic. But it was the Clancys' boisterous performances that set them apart, taking placid classics and giving them a boost of energy and spirit (not that they took this approach with all their songs; they would still sing the true mournful ballads with due reverence).
But by the late 1960s, rock music had taken full swing, and the ballad and folk boom was waning. To keep the band at the top, Teo Macero began producing their records for Columbia. Macero introduced new instrumentation to their music, including Louis Killen coming in to play concertina on backup, particularly on their 1968 album of sea songs, Sing of the Sea. But their last three albums for Columbia Record in 1969 and 1970 are considered by many to be overproduced, with a multitude of string instruments and synthesizers added to the simpler traditional Clancy mix of guitar, banjo, tin whistle and harmonica.
In 1969, the group recorded a song for a two-minute-long TV ad for Gulf Oil: "Bringin' Home the Oil". They adapted a traditional Scottish tune they had recorded, "The Gallant Forty Twa," with new words about large-capacity supertankers. The song and commercial featured the then-largest supertanker in the world, the Universe Ireland, which operated with sister ships Universe Kuwait, Universe Japan and Universe Portugal, all mentioned in the song and which operated from the seaport at Bantry Bay.
1969 marked the amicable departure of Tommy Makem from the group. Giving them a year's notice, Makem left in April 1969 to pursue a solo career armed with such recent compositions as "Four Green Fields", debuted on 1968's Clancy Brothers album, Home Boys Home.
The "other brother", Bobby Clancy, filled Tommy Makem's vacancy and the band became The Clancy Brothers.
Kitty Magee
The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But kept a merry heart free, 'till it was stole unknownst by Kitty Magee
Her smiling face, her slender waist, her lips would tempt a saint to taste
Oh, sure it was small blame to me to lose my heart to Kitty Magee
'Twas down at Ballina Fair, colleens and boys were gaily stepping it there
And I the soul of the spree, when I set eyes on Kitty Magee
Her smile so sweet, her step so neat, hide and seek her two little feet
And now I'm dreaming all day, sighing from dark to dawn and wasting away
Like a lone bird on a tree, sighing the long hours through for Kitty Magee
Oh, darling dear, the shrove is near, say the words I'm dying to hear
Promise me mine you soon will be, handsome, winsome Kitty Magee
In the song Kitty Magee by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, the singer talks about his experiences with women before falling in love with Kitty Magee. He claims to have courted women of all kinds, but it was Kitty's sweet smile, slender waist, and tempting lips that won his heart. The singer recounts meeting Kitty at a fair in Ballina, where she stood out among the other colleens and boys with her neat step and playful feet. Since meeting her, he has been dreaming of her day and night, pining away for her like a lone bird on a tree. He begs her to promise that she will soon be his.
The song is a typical Irish love ballad that tells a story of a young man who falls head over heels in love with a woman at first sight. Its simple, straightforward lyrics and melody create an emotional yet light-hearted atmosphere that reflects the joys and sorrows of young love. The singer's infatuation with Kitty Magee is depicted in vivid detail, from her swan-like movements to her irresistible smile. The song is a celebration of the beauty and allure of women, and the power they hold over men's hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
I've kissed and courted them all, gentle and simple, short and medium and tall
I have shown affection to all types of women, regardless of their status, height and appearance
But kept a merry heart free, 'till it was stole unknownst by Kitty Magee
I was happy without commitment until Kitty Magee stole my heart without my knowledge
Her smiling face, her slender waist, her lips would tempt a saint to taste
Kitty Magee's charming smile, slender figure and inviting lips could seduce any man
Oh, sure it was small blame to me to lose my heart to Kitty Magee
It's no surprise that I fell in love with Kitty Magee given her irresistible qualities
'Twas down at Ballina Fair, colleens and boys were gaily stepping it there
At the Ballina Fair, young women and men were joyfully dancing
And I the soul of the spree, when I set eyes on Kitty Magee
I was the life of the party until I saw Kitty Magee and was captivated by her
Her smile so sweet, her step so neat, hide and seek her two little feet
Kitty Magee's smile was enchanting and her footsteps were graceful, as if she was playing a game of hide-and-seek with her small feet
Gliding just like a swan at sea, went handsome, winsome Kitty Magee
Kitty Magee moved elegantly, like a swan gliding across the sea, and was alluring to those who saw her
And now I'm dreaming all day, sighing from dark to dawn and wasting away
I now spend my days daydreaming, sighing and wasting away from my love for Kitty Magee
Like a lone bird on a tree, sighing the long hours through for Kitty Magee
Like a bird sitting alone on a tree, I spend my time longing for Kitty Magee
Oh, darling dear, the shrove is near, say the words I'm dying to hear
Oh, my beloved, Valentine's day is near, say the words that I'm anxious to hear
Promise me mine you soon will be, handsome, winsome Kitty Magee
Promise me that you will be mine soon, my charming and alluring Kitty Magee
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
abrham gebeyehu
I've kissed and courted them all,
Gentle and simple; short and medium and tall.
But I kept my weary heart free,
'Til it was stolen most by Kitty McGee.
Her smiling face, her slender waist,
Her lips would tempt a saint to taste.
Sure it was small blame for me,
To lose my heart to Kitty McGee.
'Twas down at Ballina Fair,
Colleens and boys were gaily trippin' out there.
And I was on a spree,
'Til my heart was struck by Kitty McGee.
Her smile so sweet, her steps so neat,
Wild and free, on two neat feet.
Gliding like a swan to sea,
Handsome, winsome, Kitty McGee.
Oh, now I'm dreaming away,
Singing from dawn to dusk and wasting away.
Like a lone dove on a tree,
Singing the laurels through for Kitty McGee.
Darling dear, this rogue is near,
Say the words I'm dying to hear.
Promise me now that mine you'll be,
Handsome, winsome Kitty McGee.
Videos
Boy, he just sounds great! They all do! He sounds as good live as on the record!
Dustin pedroia
Yes tom clancy's voice is very energetic. Very nice sound. i love Tommy's vibration in his voice. Thats what makes it great.
kpz1234
I love this song. Two minutes of greatness.
Carolina Frasineanu
Unique and absolutely lovely Irish folk music
Irish Jack Puskar
Is this concert available on DVD/VHS? Thanks for posting these!!!!!
Petter Nilsson
Tommy was a true bard.He could entertait whenever he want.
Siem Eikelenboom
Start at 0:34 to repeat the song only - I did it many times - Tommy's my hero!
rossmcl177
Oh but why compare them like that? Cant we just say they were all great? Liam's gone now too. There's a cloud somewhere up there that's ringing with the sound of the whole gang of them re-united this weekend. - God bless every one of them, I say.
rmm413c
What the hell is this? I didn't expect to come on a Tommy Makem clip and find a Liam Clancy hate fest. Liam was an amazing singer and rightfully a legend!
Dustin pedroia
True to that. The clancy brothers are all together now. Once and for all...